My parents in Mexico

  (text in ENG)

in Teotihuacan

  My parents came in the end of October to Mexico for 2 weeks. As we have a smaller zoo back home, it was not easy to plan this trip, but finally they could make it!
  I have been planning some one-day trips for them for the first week and then (for Dia de Muerto long weekend) we went to Riviera Maya.

Although it was already end of October, the rainy season didn`t seem to stop, so for the first weekend, we planned to search for the sun rather than to stick to our plans. We found out that the weather had been nice to the North, so we headed to San Miguel de Allende. Four adults and a dog in a car was a bit crowded, but the weather was beautiful in the town and we took a nice walk among the colonial houses.

in San Miguel de Allende

  We took one day to see Mexico City with the hop-on, hop-off bus, visited Taxco and the pyramids of Teotihuacan. I had to go to work one day, so that day my parents went to Chapultepec to see the Museum of Anthropology and the Zoo all by themselves! Apparently they had much fun with the bus and all the animals.

in Zocalo

  Then, before our trip to Riviera Maya, we all went to Puebla. Again, we didn`t have much luck as our favourite talavera shop was closed, but the weather was on our side: it was hot and shiny that day. We walked around and watched a native indian dance performance in the main square - these people had huge head ornaments with colorful feathers and even full birds or heads of smaller wild cats.

colorful head ornament with a whole parrot

in Africam Safari

After the crowed got bigger we had lunch and as it was still early, we visited Africam Safari near Puebla.
As my parents are big animal lovers, they (and us) really enjoyed the Safari. For us it was already the second time in Africam Safari, but we still enjoyed the many many animals. Almost the first thing we saw were some rhinoceros - peeing. Almost in the same time. But it wasn`t just peeing, it was rather a jet of pee. One of them were facing our car, so we left from there very fast. Then we saw a group of young elephants all trumpeting and playing in the water - they were very cute.

   The next day we headed to Riviera Maya. In Cancun we rented a car and after showing my parents the hotel zone of Cancun, we headed south to Riviera Maya. The rental car was interesting... will never choose a cheap rental car company again! First of all, it took about an hour when finally the car came to the airport to pick us up (of course, our name was not on the list). Then when we arrived to the rental office, it took another 30 minutes and turned out that although we reserved a sedan, there were none. So they would give us a van for the same price. Although we didn`t need a van for 4 people and the gas milage and drive of a van is way worth, we said OK. Finally it turned out that the van they gave us was the one with that we were picked up from the airport. Anyway, we headed finally to our hotel in Riviera Maya, Bel Air. We had been at this hotel once, and we really liked it. Although at that time the hotel chain just had bought this hotel, so it was still full with flaws (leak in the room, no hot water etc) and the gardens weren`t nice, but 2 years later, it became a beautiful hotel. For this price, this is the best hotel I have ever stayed in. The hotel staff was extremely kind and helpful, the rooms renovated with a small present (chocolate or cake) waiting for us every day. But the hotel itself is what I love the best: actually this Bel Air is a zoo hotel, and after taking away the bad feelings if a hotel can really run a hotel, you might really enjoy the place! There were tigers, pumas, monkeys, porcupines, cangaroos, antilopes and so on.

in Bel Air

And of course, the "native" animals around in the jungle: raccoons, coatis, birds and butterflies.

the natives in Bel Air: coatis

   The whole hotel is in the jungle with separated bungalows - there is a huge jet bath in the room, outside you have a big terrace with hammocks so you can enjoy the birds and other animals from your room. We spent 3 nights here. It was unfortunate that the weather was also cloudy and a bit rainy (it was raining on and off), because I wanted to show my parents the color-changing Caribbean Sea. But even tough they really enjoyed our stay there: every day visited the animals, had about 10 coatis at a time on their balcony, even took in a cat from the street. Also, on the last day when they went kayaking on the hotel`s cenote (yes, there is a cenote within the hotel area!) they even saw two manatees! We half thought it was told to people only to get interested in the cenote, but they really exist!

kayaking in the cenote

   One day we saw the hotel`s animals show as well - it was very friendly show, only with about 10 people as guests, but the show was really nice: many birds and even a gray fox that we could pet. Also we could take pictures with the macaws and other colorful parrots at the end of the show.

the animal show in the hotel

   We took another day to go to Tulum. Unfortunately, again it was cloudy, so the usually spectacular view was not so spectacular, but it was still beautiful. We went down to the ruin`s white sandy beach, where Laci (despite of the cloudy weather) swam in the sea. Swimming and walking around the ruins made us hungry so we dropped by a restaurant near to the ruins - it was typical "margarita and tacos for the tourists" restaurant, but it was really delicious.

in Tulum

   The last day our plane left from Cancun in the afternoon, so we checked out from the hotel and stopped by at Playa del Carmen. This is about the second most famous town in the Yucatan peninsula after Cancun. No wonder, this town is right on the white sand-beaches of the Caribbean. However, not only the tourists but the locals are aware of it as well, and this city has turned into a tourist town. Everywhere you see are restaurants, bars and souvenir shops - not in the Mexican level (nor quality neither price), so I can really imagine if somebody visits Cancun or Playa del Carmen, would get a twisted image about Mexico.

Playa del Carmen

   After getting back to Mexico City, my parents still had 2 days, so we visited the once Habsburg Palace in the Chapultepec castle on one day and went to a "mercado" to buy some souvenirs on the other.

Habsburg Palace in Chapultepec

   The plane left at 8pm with a transfer in France, but it turned out at the check-in that the plane to France wouldn`t leave until 11pm, which meant they wouldn`t be able to catch their connection. So, finally their tickets were changed for the next day and spent another day in Mexico, but finally they got back to Hungary without problem.

For more pictures, click here!　→　My parents in Mexico